Sunlight may prevent short-sightedness

Australian scientists have found that children who play outdoors appear to be less likely to suffer from short-sightedness (myopia).

Many people believe that reading and excessive use of computers and TVs are largely to blame for poor eyesight, but the latest research suggests that a lack of exposure to sunlight may contribute to the problem.

Researchers at the Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence in Vision Science compared the eyesight of six-year-old Singaporeans and Chinese Australians.

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They found that three per cent of Chinese Australians needed glasses, compared with 30 per cent of children in Singapore.

All of the children spent a similar amount of time reading, watching television and playing video games.

However, the Singaporean youngsters spent an average of 30 minutes outside every day, while the Chinese Australians typically spent two hours outdoors per day.

Researcher Professor Ian Morgan commented: 'This clearly suggests that myopia was triggered by something in the environment, rather than the genes.

'The critical factor seemed to be the fact that the children in Singapore spent much less time outdoors.'

Around five million people in Britain are short-sighted and the condition normally develops in childhood or adolescence.

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